Brooklyn Park Continues Process of Taking Public Input on Northwest Area Development
Brooklyn Park city leaders continue to gauge public input regarding the possible development options for 700 acres in the northwest corner of the city, and will soon offer a second round of engagement opportunities to further hone the plans moving forward.
More than 150 people attended a public input session at Brooklyn Park Small Business Center in January to learn more about and provide feedback about possible development in the northwest corner of the city.
“We held an open house for the public at the Brooklyn Park Small Business Center (in January),” said City of Brooklyn Park Senior Planner Erin McDermott. “We had approximately 120 people show up to that.”
Between that and the first round of online surveys that is now closed, McDermott said the city received approximately 600 responses to its engagement efforts.
“The key feedback from Brooklyn Park residents was very consistent with the vision that city council has established. They’re very interested in a market-driven development with some city assistance, looking for job opportunities, public amenities such as park space. There was a lot of commentary on keeping green space. We’re working on developing the plan, incorporating some of those historical features and green space within there,” said McDermott. “Other feedback was an interest in a walkable environment, so roads with heavy pedestrian access.”
McDermott and their planning colleagues presented information last week to city council and the planning commission, and they have narrowed the ideas down to three scenarios, each with varying amounts of land dedicated to certain comprehensive plan-style zoning designations. McDermott said the end result in all of this work will be to submit a city comprehensive plan amendment to allow for the development of the land.
“The city doesn’t own the land,” they said. “We’re creating the zoning and the transportation networks for what the ideal end goal is, and we have engaged the individual property owners, as well, who are very interested in developing so we can help them reach their goals as well as the overall city goals.”
McDermott said the new survey should soon be available on the city’s Northwest Area Plan site.
“We do anticipate at least one more public engagement session in-person, as well as the general public is always free to email us at planning@brooklynpark.org with any feedback,” said McDermott.
